


like lightning in a bottle

by archfeys



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, youtuber!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 19:15:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5552054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archfeys/pseuds/archfeys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dipper and Wirt do a collab, and people start to ship them. Wirt's nervous about it, Dipper falls off a couch, and Mabel finds a scrapbook-ortunity in it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like lightning in a bottle

**Author's Note:**

> this was a secret santa gift for wild-foxkin on tumblr c:  
> title is from the song electric love by borns.

“Alright, internet. I’m sure you all remember my revelation that a friend of mine happens to be another youtuber you know and love.”

Dipper clapped his hands together, his bright eyes gleaming. “And of course, you remember my promise to collab with him, right? I’m sure you’re all excited for that.” He paused for dramatic effect. “But it seems that I’ve forgotten to mention his name all this time! Oops.”

 

He gave a grandiose shrug, his sideways grin only growing with anticipation. 

 

“After all your speculation, today you’ll finally hear the end of this mystery! Say hello, GnomePrince!” Wirt’s head popped into view from the left corner of the screen as he scooted into the camera’s angle. He gave a small wave, a broad grin accompanying it. 

 

Wirt laid a hand on Dipper’s shoulder, honestly a bit nervous since it was his first time doing anything like this. Despite having had an already existing friendship with Dipper, he was relatively new to being a vlogger, with nowhere near the popularity that Dipper had. And considering how different their subject matter was- with Dipper rising to fame for his ghost-hunting videos and humor vlogs with his sister, and Wirt’s simple music covers- he wasn’t too sure how it would turn out. Nonetheless, he’s willing to give it a shot. (Or he wouldn’t have even agreed, right?)

 

“TreePining over here has asked you all to send in requests and questions for this video. We’ll pick and choose them at random,” he glanced at Dipper, who gave him an encouraging smile, “and, uh, do whatever they say! So here we go. You do the honors, Dipper.”

 

“My pleasure.” Dipper reached into a box offscreen and drew out a strip of paper. “Open the book closest to you and reenact whatever scene you open it to!” He looked up excitedly and slammed his hand on the book, immediately raising it to the camera. “The Ghost-Hunter’s Bible,” he whispered ominously, earning a snort from Wirt. Turning the book open, he read a paragraph aloud with a wild grin on his face. 

 

“When hunting in old, dark spaces, bring a source of light. Watch out for areas of potential danger or object in your way, as it is likely that you could be injured in these spaces.”

 

Wirt raised his brow, incredulous. “Why do you even have that on your bedside table-”

 

Dipper hopped up to stand on the bed and pulled Wirt down to lay on it. “Stay still,” he said, “channel your inner obstacle.”

“Dipper, I don’t-”

 

“Ohh, look! It seems I have forgotten my flashlight!” Dipper interjected loudly, stepping around on the bed and flailing his arms. “What a predicament! It would be a shame if I  _ fell! _ ” He yelled as he pretended to trip over a protesting Wirt, landing on his knees on the opposite side. Scurrying back to his place on the bed, Dipper looked into the camera, his expression grim. “Don’t try this at home.”

 

Wirt sat up and gave Dipper a teasing shove. He reached for the next request, almost hesitant to read the next one. “Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

 

“Hey, it’s a serious debate,” Dipper said, wrapped an arm around Wirt’s shoulders and gazed into the distance. (“The distance” being the corner of his room.) “It’s a question even the great philosophers have wondered.”

 

Wirt tried to fight off the grin on his face and shrugged off Dipper’s arm. “What, philosophers like Mabel?”

 

“Bingo. I think I’d fare better against 100 duck-sized horses. You could just, I dunno, step on them,” Dipper explained, with another scoff from Wirt.

 

“I don’t know about that. I mean, I  _ guess _ you could get a few of them, but there’s 100 so it would take a while.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Dipper shot Wirt a look. “Don’t worry, you baby, I’d protect you,” he teased, laughing as Wirt shoved him. Wirt’s cheeks pinked at that statement, but he ignored it as much as he could. “Next one.”

 

~

After a series of relatively tame questions and requests, Wirt pulled out the last slip of paper for the video. “Before we answer this last one, don’t be disappointed if we didn’t do yours! There will definitely be a next time,” Dipper said, grinning at Wirt.

 

Despite his previous anxiety over the video, Wirt found himself to have enjoyed it overall. The ridiculous prompts helped him to feel closer to his friend, he realized. He felt comfortable, and read the last prompt with an air of confidence.

 

“Wear each other’s clothes.” Wirt’s looked at Dipper in a slight panic, his confidence rather short-lived. “Like what we’re wearing right now? I’m, uh…”

“You okay?” Dipper mouthed, willing to skip it entirely. They could just edit it out, anyway, there really wasn’t any point in forcing this. It was supposed to be fun, and Dipper didn’t want Wirt to feel uncomfortable for it.

 

Wirt nodded, moving out of the camera’s view and turning his back to Dipper. He quickly wiggled out of his sweater and tossed it at Dipper, where it landed on the floor. Waiting to be hit by Dipper’s shirt in return, he stood there patiently. But after a second of silence, he glanced over his shoulder, curious. “What’s the matter?” He prompted, getting Dipper’s attention.

 

“Hm? Nothing, sorry, haha. Just daydreaming.” Dipper stepped out of the camera’s range and did the same, tossing his t-shirt to Wirt. Once Wirt looked away he grabbed the sweater off the ground, immediately marveling at how big it was on him. That could only mean-

 

“Since when were you this much smaller than me?” The shirt only came to the top of Wirt’s jeans; if he lifted his arms, the shirt would show off his stomach. Dipper stifled a laugh, dragging him back to their place on the bed. “You look ridiculous. I, on the other hand, feel great.” Mabel had the right idea with those sweaters- they were comfortable as hell. Wirt opened his mouth in a teasing retort, but was cut off almost immediately.

 

“That’s the end of that!” Dipper said, slinging an arm around Wirt. “If you enjoyed this, give it a like. Subscribe to me and Wirt by clicking on our faces!” He gestured to the general area, then pointing at the camera itself. “We’ll see you next time!”

 

~

When Wirt checked logged into his laptop the next day, his viewers and subscribers had skyrocketed significantly. Comments on flooded his videos, singing praises about his music and giving general compliments and other regards. He began to notice a single word that seemed to dominate a few of the comments, which piqued his interest. Pinescone? 

 

He checked the comments section of the collab he did with Dipper, and sure enough it was there as well. It was often paired with something along the lines of “OTP!!” or “they’re so adorable together omg!” Naturally, Wirt began to worry.

 

Fumbling for his phone on the bedside table, he texted Dipper frantically. 

 

_ To: Pine Tree (9:34 A.M.) _

_ do you know what pinescone is? _

 

_ To: Pine Tree (9:34 A.M.) _

_ like, not the thing from trees. it’s in a lot of the comments on our video, what does it mean?? _

 

He set his phone face down forcefully, mentally criticizing himself. For what seemed like an eternity, it remained totally silent. Glancing at the laptop screen, Wirt almost wanted to delve more into the comments and find out for himself, but the  _ bzz _ from his phone caught his attention instead.

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:40 A.M.) _

_ oh my gosh _

 

Wirt groaned, falling backward onto his bed. That was the worst possible response he could’ve gotten- okay, it could’ve been worse. Still, he needed a defined answer.

 

_ To: Pine Tree (9:40 A.M.) _

_ well?? _

 

Wirt drummed his fingers on the table, thankfully Dipper answered quickly.

 

_ From: Pine Tree  (9:41 A.M.) _

_ it’s a ship name _

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:41 A.M.) _

_ they ship us _

 

“What?!” Wirt couldn’t hold back his yelp, the situation fully dawning on him now. They shipped him and Dipper? Like, romantically? Like…

 

There was no denying that Dipper was a pretty great guy. He was definitely handsome by Wirt’s standards, but in all honesty, he’d never really thought of him as anything much more than a friend. (Apart from a fleeting crush when they were 15, but he didn’t think that counted. That really only happened because of a really,  _ really _ weird dream.) Their fans- no,  _ Dipper’s _ fans- saw romantic potential between them. But then, they saw that between almost anything… right? Wirt mused on it for a while longer, a rosy blush tinting his cheeks. 

 

A more frightening thought struck him; what if Dipper didn’t want anything to do with him because of this? The implication of a romance between them might embarrass him, and Wirt dreaded the thought that maybe his friend would be  _ ashamed _ of being around him… Oh god.

Logically, he realized he was overreacting, but the doubt in his mind wouldn’t go away that easily. His phone buzzed again and hesitantly he checked it, unease swirling in the pit of his stomach.

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:55 A.M) _

_ hey, wirt? _

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:55 A.M.) _

_ i wouldn’t worry about it too much _

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:56 A.M.) _

_ that is, if you’re worrying about it _

_ it’s no big deal, they get carried away sometimes _

 

_ From: Pine Tree (9:57 A.M.) _

_ wirt? _

 

_ To: Pine Tree (9:58 A.M.) _

_ we have to talk. _

 

Yanking on a sweatshirt as he sprinted out of his room, he mumbled a quick goodbye to his mother and Greg in the living room, then made his way out the door and to Dipper’s house. He had to clear this up; he knew it wouldn’t leave his head unless they had an understanding.

 

~

A succession of frantic knocks on his front door shook Dipper out of his thoughts. He’d texted Wirt several times after his last message, but to no avail. With a short sigh, he climbed off the couch to answer the door. A streak of bright pink and long brown hair swept past him, a cry of “I GOT IT!!” following. Mabel swung the door open, a puckish smile on her face. 

 

“Wirt!” she yelled, gathering him into a bear hug and releasing him right after. 

 

“H-hey.” His voice came out in tremors, but he grinned in spite of himself. Mabel’s cheer was absolutely contagious. “I need-”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Mabel was pulling him inside. “Dipper, I know. Hey, Dipdop!” Wirt heard a quiet hum in response from the living room. “Knock yourself out!” With a wink, Mabel left them, running back up the stairs. 

 

_ Okay. Let’s go. _ Sucking in a breath, Wirt crossed the threshold to the living room, where Dipper was perched on the arm of the couch. The TV flickered and droned, showing some early-morning cartoon meant to pass the time. Two bowls of half-eaten cereal sat, forgotten, on the coffee table. Dipper was still in his pajamas, the shirt he wore yesterday and a pair of old gym shorts. 

“Hey,” Dipper offered, standing up to approach Wirt. The latter motioned him to sit back down, and rested beside him. “Look, Dipper, I-”

 

With a small scoff and a smile at the corner of his mouth, Dipper shushed him. “If this has to do with the whole shipping thing, I can totally tell them to quit it if you want. Seriously, it’s no big deal.”

 

Wirt furrowed his brow, still concerned. He fiddled with his hands, scratching the back of his neck and resorting to other nervous tics. “N-no, I mean like… Are you okay with that? I mean, you don’t want to stop hanging out with me because of it? Because it that’ll make things weird, then I’ll stop. Like, stop hanging around, we could still be friends I guess, but like-”

 

Dipper half smile spread into a full grin as he reached out to lay a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, Wirt, listen. It’s fine.” He paused to make sure he had Wirt’s attention, then continued. “It’s not weird, trust me- I’ve seen weird.”

 

“Look, I like you. I like being around you. A lot,” Dipper admitted with a sigh. “You’re one of the best friends I’ve had, I’m not going to give that up because of something that trivial.” He gave Wirt a playful shove, ignoring the blush that tinted his cheeks. “It’s gonna take a lot more than that for you to get rid of me.”

 

All the worry melted off Wirt’s face, a relieved laugh bubbling in his chest. His eyes brightened, a beaming smile left on his face once his laughter died down. “I-I was so worried, I didn’t think…” He stopped mid-sentence, his expression turning to one of adoration when he gazed at Dipper again. “Thank you.”

 

Dipper shrugged it off. “Like I said, it’s fine. You’re my friend for a reason. And I-” Wirt embraced him before he could finish, burying his face in Dipper’s shoulder. He reciprocated gladly, wrapping his arms around Wirt’s waist and reveling in the moment. Wirt pulled back and the feeling was gone all too soon, leaving a tingling feeling where they had touched. Dipper’s cheeks flushed all the brighter, and he felt a tad too warm. 

 

Wirt hadn’t noticed how his own chest seemed to flutter a little too wildly, an invisible urge tugging him forward yet again. Dipper leaned forward and so did he, until their foreheads touched and they were closer than they’d ever been before. “Really, Dipper,” Wirt whispered. “Thank you.”

 

_ God. _ The slightest movement, just the smallest motion forward, and they’d kiss. Dipper didn’t know how much longer he could go before closing the gap between them. A comfortable silence filled the space between them, and Dipper tilted his head a bit further. 

Just before their lips touched, an ear-splitting squeal broke them apart. Dipper fell off the arm of the sofa and Wirt retreated to the opposite side of the couch, concentrating on the wall and willing his blush to go away. 

 

Mabel stood at the edge of the threshold leading into the living room, her eyes wild and her mouth frozen in an exhilarated grin. “I knew it!!” She yelled, jumping and stomping excitedly. She stopped, her eyes growing even wider. “Wait. Stay there. This is a perfect scrapbook-ortunity!” Just as quickly as she appeared, she whirled around and sprinted up the stairs for her camera.

 

Dipper popped up from behind the couch, giving Wirt and apologetic grin. “Run while you can,” he said, shrugging toward the door. “She’s insatiable when it comes to this stuff.” Wirt nodded, rising from the couch and dusting himself off. Dipper scrambled up from the ground and stepped toward him, grabbing his wrist. Up on his tip-toes, he pressed a kiss to Wirt’s cheek. “Bye,” he murmured, gazing up at him.

 

“Bye,” Wirt responded, but stayed in that position for a moment longer. The rustling upstairs ceased, Mabel’s triumphant “Found it!” ringing in the halls. Both their expressions fell and Wirt made a break for the front door, waving at Dipper as he left. A nervous flutter danced in his heart as he departed for his home, subconsciously tracing the place where Dipper kissed him.

 

The shippers would go absolutely  _ wild _ if they knew.


End file.
